The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!

I portrayed the role of Beth Bradley and I will be blogging throughout the run of the Best Christmas Pageant Ever, a play at SLT. Beth narrates the story of The Herdmans kids, the worst kids in the history of the world. The Herdmans are Ralph (Dylan Casteel), Imogene (Olivia Tyson), Leroy (Braedan Hall), Claude (Connor Jordan), Ollie (Clayton Cox), and Gladys (Sophia Jenkins). These exceptionally talented actors make the best bad kids in the world! Lol ;) Beth is best friends with Alice Wendleken (Carolyn Billingsley). Which is ironic because Carolyn and I are best c friends in real life! We have actually been cast as counterparts in 4 different shows! We probably have just as many little arguments as Beth and Alice do...(; I have already made such great bonds with all the cast members! I love them! 

Exit Laughing is coming to a close which means The Best Christmas Pageant Ever will be coming on stage today! I am beyond excited. It seems like when we come onstage something happens. It's magical, really, the way everything clicks once you get there. I think it's the realization that the end result is coming. That everyone has worked together for so long and now we are being rewarded for all the effort we have put forth on the 4th floor. 

I've come to love this cast like family, and I can't wait to spend my last couple of weeks with them.

Visit springfieldlittletheatre.org for more information.

2/3 done.

What an amazing first weekend!! I can't believe this wonderful show is already halfway over. 

We have had a great 1st weekend with some awesome audiences! Now, we are on the school shows. We have 6 shows within the next 2 days which will be equally exciting and tiring all in one! I know the entire cast will have a ball and I know we are ready to do it all tomorrow! 

As an actor, one thing that is amazing to watch is the actors that are double casted. Each actor brings a different aspect of their character to the table, and it's so fun to see what each actor does every night. They make the show fresh and spontaneous, while also being consistent. They amaze me everyday and I love watching and learning from them daily!

Ensemble members are equally as amazing. There are people in the cast the never have lines, yet they are the person that you want to watch because they are always present. They always are intent in the scene and know what's going on. They are honest actors that portray what how the audience should be feeling inside as well. They are magicians. They control the audience members emotions like a puppet. Isn't that amzazing??

Don't miss your chance to see The Little Mermaid Jr. Get your tickets!!!

Katie Beth

Enjoy my #SIP (Saturday intermission picture) with my favorite altos, ensemble members, and people in general!

Visit springfieldlittletheatre.org

Opening Night!!!

It's opening night. Wow!!! I feel like everything has finally fallen into place. Final touches have been made, lighting cues have been added, and our show has made great strides! Each night we are grew so much and became more and more confident with our show. That's why I am so excited and so ready for the show tonight!! I know we are rested and ready kick some booty for our first full audience!

On Wednesday, we got to have a small live audience. Lorianne invited the Boys and Girls club. It's was so fun to have some fresh bodies in the audience to perform for, and especially since it is for people that otherwise would not have been able to see the show!

I am so proud of our cast. All of the performers are so talented and each one is so devoted and determined to put on the best show that they possibly can. I have learned so much from watching them and working with them, and I am so blessed to have gotten to work with this cast! 

So come on down and see Little Mermaid so you can see all these fabulous performers at work! Also- help get the word out about Little Mermaid, so we can have a FULL HOUSE for our opening night!

Katie Beth

Visit springfieldlittletheatre.org for more info.

Enjoy this photo of the lovely Ursssssula and I in full costume.

Rachel Haik and Hannah Duff as Ariel in Disney's The Little Mermaid Jr.

As an actor, one thing that is amazing to watch is the actors that are double casted. Each actor brings a different aspect of their character to the table, and it's so fun to see what each actor does every night. They make the show fresh and spontaneous, while also being consistent. They amaze me everyday and I love watching and learning from them daily! 

Rachel Haik and Hannah Duff will be portraying the role of Ariel in Disney's Lottle Mermaid Jr. LIVE on the  Historic Lander's Stage! They are both brilliant actresses that bring different attributes of Ariel to the character. 

Rachel brings the independent and curious side of Ariel to the table. She lets Ariel be slightly sassy and funny when enteracting with other characters. No worries, Ariel is still polite and angelic but she also has a little spice to her.

Hannah brings the princess-like side of Ariel to the surface. Hannah is a beautiful dancer. She moves through the water like a real fish. She is so believable that she is actually underwater.

Enjoy the photos of our beautiful Ariels. Come see them in Springfield Little Theatre's The Little Mermaid Jr. 

Remember- the show starts October 11th. Get your tickets before your time runs out!!! You WON'T want to miss it.

The Little Mermaid is ONSTAGE!!!

Well, it's finally here, we are onstage!!! Ahh! I think being onstage for the first time in the current show is amazing and slightly hectic at the same time. It's so exciting to be able to play onstage and do everything on a larger scale, and at the same time, makes you realize how close the show really is! Speaking of which, we have 16 days!! (Yay!) 

Being onstage for the first time is awesome, but another one of my favorite aspects of a show is getting to use your props for the first time. Cups, leis, fans, bouncy balls, even sunglasses can help you portray your character that much better.

Get your tickets for the Little Mermaid Jr!!! They are selling fast and you are NOT going to want to miss out!

Visit springfieldlittletheatre.org for tickets.

 Here's our Prince Eric, Sam Snodgrass with his right hand man Grimsby, portrayed by Parker Mauzey hard at work at rehearsal last night.

The Little Mermaid

My theatre news of the week has to do with a new production I have recently been cast in. It is the iconic movie musical the Little Mermaid. 

The Little Mermaid is the story of a mermaid princess (the youngest of 7) who longs to live on land. She falls in love with a human who happens to be a prince. Prince Eric is lured into her by her beautiful voice but in order to become human she must betray her father, King Triton, and make a pact with the evil Sea Witch, Ursula. The Little mermaid is a beloved children's movie with a very happy ending. 

In the show I will be portraying Jetsam, one of Ursula's evil sea eels. Flotsam, Jetsam's counterpart is being played my Priscilla Schmitt. I am so proud of our cast. All of the performers are so talented and each one is so devoted and determined to put on the best show that they possibly can.  I have learned so much from watching them and working with them, and I am so blessed to have gotten to work with this cast! 

Come see this lovely cast in action in The Little Mermaid at the Springfield Little Theatre. The performances run from October 11-27. Spread the word and use hashtag #sltmermaid so you can tweet, Facebook, or Instagram your experience!

SEA you there! hehe. For more info, visit springfieldlittletheatre.org 

SPAMALOT Live at the Landers!

This week, the latest in my person theatre news is Monty Python's SPAMALOT at the Springfield Little Theatre. It opens tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. on the Historic Landers Stage. You can get more information about tickets and show times at springfieldlittletheatre.org.

SPAMALOT is a hilarious musical based on Monty Python's The Holy Grail. It tells the story of knights (in tights) , princesses, dancing queens, bravery and downright silliness! SPAMALOT is an enchanting story of King Arthur and his Knights and their quest for the Holy Grail. It contains about 30 cast members at SLT and over 130 costumes. One of the beauties of SPAMALOT is that there are so few people yet they play so many characters and they have to change so quickly into such intricate costumes. There is honestly NEVER a dull moment.

At SLT, King Arthur will be played by Jeremy Sullivan, along with Eric Eichenburger who will be playing Sir Robin, as well as Guard 1 and Brother Maynard (FUN FACT: Eric was my voice teacher when I was in 6th grade). Sir Lancelot/French Taunter/Knight of NI/Tim the Enchanter will be portrayed by Jamie Bower. Jamie is also Lighting Director on the Springfield Little Theatre Staff. Lady of the Lake will be played by Jennifer Armstrong. She is an SLT veteran who recently portrayed Paulette in Legally Blonde the Musical.

SPAMALOT runs from September 6-22. Tickets are $28.00 for adults, $25.00 for senior (62+)/Student/Military, and $15.00 for children (ages 14 and under). Show times are Thursday at 7:30pm (September 13 & 19), Friday at 7:30pm (September 6, 13, 20), Saturday at 7:30pm (September 7), Saturday at 2:30pm and 7:30pm (September 14 & 21), and Sunday at 2:30pm (September 8, 15 & 22). If you come to see the show, use the hashtag #sltalot to tweet, Facebook, Instagram, or even vine your experience. Hope to see you there!

Welcome to Lullaby of Blogway

     Hello! My name is Katie Beth Nichols, and I am thrilled to introduce my new blog, Lullaby of Blogway. Every week, I will bring you the latest news in the world of musical theatre. I will give you everything from stats and new musicals, to rising stars and Broadway drama. To give you a sense of routine, I will try to post sometime before Friday each week. I hope to give you the most accurate information as possible and I hope you have as much fun reading this blog as I will have writing it!

     This week I'd like to focus on The Lion King. Not only is this an iconic movie, but The Lion King is also the top musical in the New York Times weekly "Most Popular Musicals" list. The Lion King is a story of Simba, the son of the King of the Pride Lands. It is a tale of courage, sorrow, a blend of entertainment, and art. With vibrant characters and bright personalities, this show is a crowd pleaser!

With raving reviews from big names like Good Morning America, TIME, and The New Yorker, The Lion King is brilliant and not only are the performers wickedly talented, but the show is a visual wonder as well. With humans as realistic animals, sound that gives you goosebumps, and visuals that will make you feel like you are dreaming, watching it feels like magic. No wonder the show has run for more than 5,000 shows. Some featured actors are Andile Gumbi as Simba, Chantel Riley as Nala, Gareth Sax as Scar, and Alton Fitzgerald White as Mufasa. The music was created my Elton John with lyrics by the well known, Tim Rice.

I have been recently interested in this show for many reasons. First of all, I loved the movie as a kid. My favorite part was when all of the animals bowed down to the king. The music is brilliant, and the actors sound like they are actually from the Pride Lands themselves. Second, I saw this video and was completely amazed. Just see for yourself. These actors perform 8 times a week and somehow they still sound astonishing? Now I can see why the cheapest ticket you can get is $90.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-pgZtzDj_7o&list=PLE698B4879C0B2496


The Minskoff Theatre is so lucky to have such an amazing show in its theatre. The Lion King won six 1998 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Scenic Design, Best Costume Design, Best Lighting Design, Best Choreography and Best Direction of a Musical. The Lion King has won many other awards as well, many of them for costumes and choreography.

If you want to hear the music of The Lion King, you can listen on Spotify, and if you love it, you can buy in on iTunes. (make sure to buy the original Broadway cast recording) I hope you enjoy listening!

Thank you for reading Lullaby of Blogway. I hope to see you next week!
                                                                                                                 Katie Beth